Morse → text · any format
Morse Code Decoder: Dots, Dashes, Dit-Dah or Binary to Text
Paste the code you were given and this Morse code decoder turns it back into plain text, letter by letter. It reads dots and dashes, bullet characters, spoken dit-dah, binary on/off runs and bar-separated code, and it detects the format on its own. One space between letters and a slash between words is all the decoder needs; if the code has no gaps at all, it lists the possible readings instead of guessing one.
Use spaces between letters, / between words.
Advanced input settings
SOS
... --- ...
Type a supported message first.
More
Ready when you are.
Advanced playback settings
Speed: how quickly the letters play.
Lower spacing speed adds more time between letters.
Everything runs in your browser. Nothing you type is uploaded.
Open in translator →Flashing light may affect sensitive viewers. Use More → Flash to start. Stop or Esc ends playback.
How to decode Morse code with this tool
- Paste or type the code into the box. The format pill under it shows what was detected, for example "Dots and dashes" or "Binary".
- Leave Letters are separated by on Auto. Switch to Space, Bar or No gaps only when you know how the sender split the letters.
- Read the decoded text in the panel. Each letter sits over its own code, so you can see where a reading came from.
- Copy the text, play it back to hear the rhythm, or open it to edit the message and send it on.
Formats it understands
Any of these pastes decode without changing a setting. The decoder normalizes typographic dots, long dashes and spoken syllables to standard dots and dashes before it looks up each letter, so code copied from a web page, a chat or a worksheet reads the same.
Dots & dashes
... --- ...Bullets & long dashes
••• ——— •••Spoken rhythm
dit dah ditBinary signals
10101 000 11101110111 000 10101Accepted formats
...|---|...| Format | Example | What counts as a dot and a dash |
|---|---|---|
| Dots and dashes | ... --- ... | . is a dot, - or _ is a dash |
| Bullets and long dashes | ••• ——— ••• | · • are dots; − – — are dashes |
| Spoken rhythm | dit dit dit␣␣␣dah dah dah␣␣␣dit dit dit | dit or di is a dot, dah is a dash; three spaces end a letter |
| Binary signals | 10101 000 11101110111 000 10101 | 1 is key down; a run of three or more 1s is a dash; 000 ends a letter, 0000000 ends a word |
| Bar separators | ...|---|... | | between letters; a bar with spaces around it ends a word |
Letter and word separators
A slash between two groups of Morse marks the end of a word; a single space marks the end of a letter. Those two rules carry almost every decode, and the table shows what else the decoder accepts in Auto mode.
| You paste | The decoder reads it as | Example → result |
|---|---|---|
| one space | letter gap | .... .. → HI |
| / (with or without spaces) | word gap | .... .. / - .... . .-. . → HI THERE |
| three or more spaces | word gap | .... ..␣␣␣- .... . .-. . → HI THERE |
| | | letter gap; | with spaces is a word gap | ....|.. → HI |
In International Morse the timing behind these marks is 1 unit for a dot, 3 for a dash, 3 units of silence between letters and 7 between words. Written code collapses that timing into spaces and slashes, which is why a missing space changes the message.
No gaps? More than one answer
Morse code with no spaces between letters cannot be decoded with certainty, because the same run of marks splits into letters in several valid ways. ...---... is SOS, but the identical marks also spell IJS, IWB, SMB or VGI, and a longer run has hundreds of splits.
This page handles that in two ways. In Auto mode a run with no gaps returns # rather than a wrong word; switch Letters are separated by to No gaps and the decoder searches every valid split, puts readings that form common words first, and lists the rest as valid alternatives. The search stops at 24 marks, so a longer run still needs letter spaces at the points you know.
... --- ...Dictionary match.. .--- ...Another valid reading.. .-- -...Another valid readingA ranked reading is a candidate, not a confirmation. If the code came from a bracelet, a tattoo design or a puzzle, compare the top reading with the context before you rely on it.
What # means in the result
A # marks a group of dots and dashes that does not match any of the 54 characters the decoder knows: 26 letters, 10 digits and 18 punctuation marks (the ITU set plus common extras such as !, & and ;). The usual cause is a typo in the paste, a missing dot, an extra dash, or two letters that lost the space between them. Count back to the matching group in your paste and fix it there; the rest of the message stays readable.
Why a decode comes out wrong
Most wrong results come from the paste, not the code. The decoder shows each letter over its own group so the slip is easy to spot, and the checks below cover what breaks most often.
| What went wrong | What you see | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Word separator left out | HITHERE instead of HI THERE | Put / or three spaces between words |
| Letters run together | # or an unexpected word | Add one space between letter groups, or use No gaps and compare readings |
| A dot or dash miscounted | A different letter: . E becomes - T, .- A becomes -. N | Count the marks against the source; play the result back and listen |
| Code copied from a web page | # on groups that look right | Retype the group; pasted text can carry hidden characters or em dashes in place of two dashes |
| Lowercase or mixed text pasted | # on everything | This box reads Morse only; type the words into the text tool instead |
Where the code usually comes from
Decoded messages on this page tend to come from a handful of places: geocaching and escape-room clues, puzzle hunts and games that hide a word in dots and dashes, a line of code in a text message or a bio, and Morse jewelry or a tattoo design someone wants to verify. Ham-radio practice sheets and classroom worksheets show up too, usually written as dit-dah or as 1s and 0s.
Each of those sources writes Morse a little differently, which is why the decoder accepts several notations instead of one. If the message is a design you are about to wear or ink, decode it here first, then check the spacing on the bracelet or tattoo page before it is made.
Decoding sound, light or a picture instead
This page works on written code only. Morse that reaches you as a tone, a recording, a flashing light or a photo has its own tool on this site: the audio tool listens through the microphone or an uploaded file, the light tool watches a blinking light through the camera, and the image tool pulls dots and dashes out of a picture. The audio and image tools hand their result to this page through a Fix in decoder link, so corrections happen in one place.
More Morse code tools
Image translator
Make a clean image or read Morse in a picture.
Telegraph
Try a straight key and American Morse.
Japanese translator
Type kana or romaji, get Wabun Morse.
Simulator
Send between two stations and follow the signal.
Morse Code Decoder
Read dots, dashes, spoken Morse or binary.
Audio Translator
Listen to clean Morse or create a sound file.
Morse Code Light
Flash a message with your screen or flashlight.
Practice
Listen, type and work on weak letters.
Test
Quiz yourself or measure your speed.
Tapper
Tap a message and improve your timing.
Bracelet generator
Plan beads, colours and the fit on your wrist.
Tattoo generator
Design a stencil and check its spacing.
Common things to translate
Questions people ask
Which Morse formats can I paste?
Dots and dashes, bullet or long-dash characters, spoken dit-dah, binary 1/0 runs and bar-separated code. The format is detected automatically, and you can mix spaces and slashes as separators within one paste.
What separates letters and words?
One space ends a letter and a slash ends a word. Three or more spaces also end a word. With the Bar setting, | is the letter separator.
Can you decode Morse code with no spaces?
Yes, with limits. Set the separator to No gaps and the decoder lists every valid split of up to 24 marks, common words first. Longer runs need letter spaces, and a ranked reading is not proof of the intended message.
What does # mean in the decoded text?
That group of marks does not match any supported character. Correct the group in your paste that lines up with the #, then copy or play the message.
Is Morse code case-sensitive, and does it include punctuation?
No. Each letter has one code, so decoded text is shown in capitals. The decoder knows 26 letters, 10 digits and 18 punctuation marks, including the period, comma, question mark, slash, parentheses and the @ sign.
Is the code I paste kept private?
Yes. Decoding runs in your browser, and nothing you paste is uploaded or stored by this site.
Checked against ITU-R M.1677-1 · Last reviewed · How we check our pages · Report it